Meanings
plural combustions
- countableuncountablechemistryThe act or process of burning.
An old prophecy that the whole world, sky and earth alike, was destined to perish in a grand and final combustion.
1918, James George Frazer, Folk-Lore In The Old Testament, volume 1, page 149Synonyms: incineration, cremation
- countableuncountableA process whereby two chemicals are combined to produce heat.
- countablefigurativelyuncountabledated or archaicizingViolent agitation, tumult.
But say from whence this new combustion springs.
1675, John Dryden, Aureng-zebe: A Tragedy. […], London: […] T[homas] N[ewcomb] for Henry Herringman, […], published 1676, →OCLC, (please specify the page number)3 more examples
From this ground, with a kind of loose scorn, he continues the French Correspondence, and secretly contriveth a continuance of the Scotish Rebellion. He omits no Act of Contempt against the antient Nobility, that they might in the sence of their disgrace be, or at least dayly threaten some new Combustion.
c. 1620s, Elizabeth Cary [misattributed to Henry Cary], The History Of the most unfortunate Prince King Edward II. […] , London: A.G. and F. P., published 1680, page 32There [were] great combustions and divisions among the heads of the university.
c. 1665, John Worthington, “The Works of the Pious and Profoundly-learned Joseph Mede”, in Life, The AuthorHim the Almighty Power / Hurld headlong flaming from th' Etherial Skie / With hideous Ruine and combustion down / To bottomless perdition, there to dwell / In Adamantine Chains and penal Fire, / Who durst defie th' Omnipotent to Arms.
1667, John Milton, “Book I”, in Paradise Lost. […], London: […] [Samuel Simmons], and are to be sold by Peter Parker […]; [a]nd by Robert Boulter […]; [a]nd Matthias Walker, […], →OCLC; republished as Paradise Lost in Ten Books: […], London: Basil Montagu Pickering […], 1873, →OCLC, lines 44–49
Synonyms & antonyms
nounThe act or process of burning.
More synonyms by meaning
nouna process in which a substance reacts with oxygen to give heat and light
Synonym sets from Open English WordNet, CC BY 4.0.
Origin
- Latincombustio
- Old Frenchcombustion
- Englishcombustion
From Old French combustion, from Latin combustio, from comburere (“to burn”), itself from the intensifying prefix com- + the root burere (a faulty sep. of amburere "to burn around", itself from ambi- + urere "to burn, singe"); equivalent to combust + -ion.
More words from Old French, Latin
Full word history & related roots →Translations
Arabic اِحْتِرَاق
- اِحْتِرَاق (iḥtirāq)the act or process of burning
Bulgarian горене, изгаряне
- горене (gorene)the act or process of burning
- изгаряне (izgarjane)process wherein a fuel is combined with oxygen
Catalan combustió, convulsió
- combustióthe act or process of burning
- convulsióviolent agitation, commotion
Chinese Mandarin 燃燒 /燃烧
- 燃燒 /燃烧 (ránshāo)the act or process of burning
Czech spalování
- spalováníthe act or process of burning
Danish forbrænding, forbrænding
- forbrændingthe act or process of burning
- forbrændingsimilar process where two chemicals are combined
- forbrændingprocess wherein a fuel is combined with oxygen
Dutch verbranding, verbranding
- verbrandingthe act or process of burning
- verbrandingprocess wherein a fuel is combined with oxygen
- verhitte gemoederenviolent agitation, commotion
- commotieviolent agitation, commotion
Finnish palaminen, palamisreaktio
- palaminenthe act or process of burning
- palamisreaktiothe act or process of burning
- palaminensimilar process where two chemicals are combined
- palaminenprocess wherein a fuel is combined with oxygen
French combustion
- combustionthe act or process of burning
German Verbrennung, Verbrennung
- Verbrennungthe act or process of burning
- Verbrennungsimilar process where two chemicals are combined
- Verbrennungprocess wherein a fuel is combined with oxygen
Greek καύση, ανάφλεξη
- καύση (káfsi)the act or process of burning
- ανάφλεξη (anáflexi)the act or process of burning
- καύση (káfsi)similar process where two chemicals are combined
- καύση (káfsi)process wherein a fuel is combined with oxygen
- ανάφλεξη (anáflexi)violent agitation, commotion
Hungarian égés, égetés
- égésthe act or process of burning
- égetésthe act or process of burning
Indonesian pembakaran
- pembakaranthe act or process of burning
Italian combustione
- combustionethe act or process of burning
Japanese 燃焼
- 燃焼 (nenshō)the act or process of burning
Korean 연소
- 연소 (yeonso)the act or process of burning
Malay pembakaran, pembakaran
- pembakaranthe act or process of burning
- pembakaransimilar process where two chemicals are combined
- pembakaranprocess wherein a fuel is combined with oxygen
Māori ngingihatanga, ngingihatanga
- ngingihatangathe act or process of burning
- ngingihatangasimilar process where two chemicals are combined
- ngingihatangaprocess wherein a fuel is combined with oxygen
Norwegian Bokmål forbrenning, forbrenning
- forbrenningthe act or process of burning
- forbrenningsimilar process where two chemicals are combined
- forbrenningprocess wherein a fuel is combined with oxygen
Persian سوختن
- سوختن (suxtan)the act or process of burning
Polish spalanie
- spalaniethe act or process of burning
Portuguese combustão, queima
- combustãothe act or process of burning
- queimathe act or process of burning
- combustãosimilar process where two chemicals are combined
- combustãoprocess wherein a fuel is combined with oxygen
Romanian combustie, ardere
- combustiethe act or process of burning
- arderethe act or process of burning
- arderesimilar process where two chemicals are combined
- ardereprocess wherein a fuel is combined with oxygen
- oxidareprocess wherein a fuel is combined with oxygen
Russian горе́ние, сгора́ние
- горе́ние (gorénije)the act or process of burning
- сгора́ние (sgoránije)the act or process of burning
- возгора́ние (vozgoránije)the act or process of burning
- сжига́ние (sžigánije)the act or process of burning
- возбужде́ние (vozbuždénije)violent agitation, commotion
- волне́ние (volnénije)violent agitation, commotion
Spanish combustión, quemado
- combustiónthe act or process of burning
- quemadothe act or process of burning
- reacción químicasimilar process where two chemicals are combined
- combustiónprocess wherein a fuel is combined with oxygen
- oxidaciónprocess wherein a fuel is combined with oxygen
- revueltaviolent agitation, commotion
- tumultoviolent agitation, commotion
- vorágineviolent agitation, commotion
Swedish förbränning, förbränning
- förbränningthe act or process of burning
- förbränningsimilar process where two chemicals are combined
- förbränningprocess wherein a fuel is combined with oxygen
Ukrainian горі́ння, згоря́ння
- горі́ння (horínnja)the act or process of burning
- згоря́ння (zhorjánnja)the act or process of burning
- згора́ння (zhoránnja)the act or process of burning
Cite this entry
combustion. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 2, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/combustion
“combustion.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/combustion. Accessed November 2, 2026.
WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “combustion,” accessed November 2, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/combustion.
Source: combustion on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.